


The Foster Dad Lin Collection

by ohNooOOOOoo



Category: Hamilton - Miranda, Hamilton - Miranda (Broadway Cast) RPF
Genre: Anxiety, Bonding, Fluff, Food Issues, Panic Attacks, fluff of Foster Dad Lin taking care of Alex, goofy dad lin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-21
Updated: 2016-05-21
Packaged: 2018-06-03 15:35:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6616012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohNooOOOOoo/pseuds/ohNooOOOOoo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>So. Combine Alex from Rise Up and make the Miranda's his Foster Parent's instead of the Washingtons. Whats the worst that could happen? </p><p>A collection of prompts filled on tumblr</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

### LMM would be like silly af with him but then also take him seriously which lil Alex would appreciate.

Alex twists his hands uncomfortably, fidgeting to keep them busy as his new foster father “call me Lin, it would be weird if you called me anything else”sat in front of him. The man was reading his essay, just a silly thing he was suppose to submit for entry into the schools contest. It didn’t mean anything. Not really.

But as each minute passed, Alex could feel his anxiety begin to grow. He glanced at the clock, gaze flickering between the ticking handles and Lin’s face. He shouldn’t have asked the man to look over his paper. It was stupid. He probably had a million things to do and Alex was distracting him and 

“Hey there.” Lin’s voice broke through the panicked haze that he had worked himself into. 

Alex looked over, meeting the man’s kind eyes. Shocked to see the patience in his gaze, instead of the irritation that his brain had believed there to be. 

Lin gave him a reassuring smile,“This paper is totes good.” His tone was serious, in a way only old people can destroy the vernacular of youth. 

Alex snorted, the dredges of panic slipping away as he gave into the absurdity of Lin, a grown ass man, saying the word totes. 

Lin grinned widely, sitting back in his chair as the boy continued to laugh, pleased with himself. 

### Alex finding out about Lin's rap group

“What do you mean you’re in a freestyle rap group?” Alex’s brows are drawn up in confusion as he looks at the childlike adult that is his guardian. 

Lin rolls his eyes with humor, “It’s like an improv show, but with rap. So, you know, its cool.” 

Alex gave the other man a long look, “You are aware that you have to keep a roof over my head. Like, that’s part of the deal when you sign up to be a foster home.”

Lin huffs out a laugh, “I’m very aware. It’s something I do alongside all my other projects. Besides Vanessa would never throw me out, she loves me too much even though she brings home the bacon.” 

Alex shook his head, eyes wide in disbelief, “An improv rap group.” He gives Lin a searching look, not saying anything else. 

Lin knows that look, Alex may have only been with them for a few months but he can tell when the boy is holding back a retort. He raises an eyebrow half in question, the other half with challenge. 

Alex snorts, rolling his eyes towards the heavens as if they were going to send him the answers, “I don’t know man, you American’s are so weird.” 

Lin laughs, “I’ll have you know that–” 

Alex interrupts him, “Yes, I know, your puerto-rican american.” He rolls his eyes, “But I’m from the Caribbean,” he lets his accent come out, proving his point, “And you Americans, are weird.”

Lin laughs, surprised that the boy had brought up his birthplace, he wasn’t a sharer. Bringing up the past was like pulling teeth with this kid. He gave the boy a grin, pleased as punch with the conversation.

“Yeah, well, you’re an American now. So that makes you weird too.” Lin’s tone was teasing. 

Alex sighed, “The burden I bear for coming to this ridiculous country in hopes for a better future.” 

Lin laughed, Alex was a gift. 

### Alex's accent

Alex was humming absentmindedly to himself, unaware that he was being watched. He continued writing in his notebook, pausing every few seconds to double check a fact in the book that was lying in front of him. 

Lin was observing from the doorway. When Alex had first come to him and Vanessa, the boy was an angry trembling mess. Like a wet kitten who had been thrown into the alley one to many times. Slowly but surely Lin was able to coax the boy out from the anger that he hid behind to protect himself. 

It was now, after months of patience, that it was paying off. Seeing Alex casually sitting at the table, doing homework warmed Lin’s heart in a way that was only reminiscent when Vanessa said yes to marrying a fool like himself. 

“Lin?” Alex’s voice was heavy, he had been working steadily for a few hours. The prolonged silence making him comfortable, the boy was unaware of his accent slip and the interesting flair it gave to Lin’s name. 

Lin gave the boy a warm smile, stepping into the room fully. “What ‘cha working on?” 

Alex shrugged, trying to seem casual but there was  a brightness in his eyes that Lin was all to familiar with. He saw the same excitement in his own face when he looked in the mirror. 

“Just something for school…” he paused, giving Lin a searching look. “You wanna read it?” 

Lin energetically bounced forward, “Of course! What’s it about?” He snagged the seat next to Alex and pulled it out, sitting down in one fell swoop.

Alex smiled at the other man’s excitement, “Well…” 

### LMM INTRODUCING ALEX BUT LIKE HOW ALEX TALKED A BOUT PHILLIP LIKE "LOOK AT MY SON! HES GONNA BLOW US ALL AWAY"

So the thing is, Alex likes these people. Genuinely thinks they are good, kind and loving. But… Alex isn’t ready to let them know that, he can’t. Not yet. He’s only been with the Miranda’s for three months, he knows better than to make snap judgements. He learned that lesson, it took three months for his last home to go to shit. 

But… Lin and Vanessa were everything that the other houses hadn’t been. They were nice. They didn’t expect much and as long as he wasn’t an asshole he didn’t have anything to worry about. And on those rare occasions he was an asshole, the worst thing they had made him do was take the dog on a walk. It was surreal. 

But Alex didn’t trust them all the way, not yet. He was getting there, he could feel the briars that had grown around his heart were slowly receding. The thorns were brittle, easily broken away with a few words of praise and a bit of attention. 

“No you have no idea, this kid is a monster.” Lin’s voice echoed through the living room, making its way upstairs.

 Alex froze, his heart beating heavily in his chest. He could feel the beginnings of anger, hurt, and shame course through his body. He should have known better, he should have known better than to trust these people.

He turns around, ready to throw his stuff together and hightale it the hell out of New York. He didn’t know where he would go yet, but he’s sure he could make it out. He’d figure out what to do from there. 

“Man you wouldn’t believe this kids mind. He’s a genius. I just want to run through the streets, pulling him along and screaming at everyone to look at him. Like, look at my son! He’s fucking brilliant and he’s gonna change the world.” 

Alex paused, his shoulder’s hunching as the weight of Lin’s words settled on his skin, soaked through his bones and settled in his heart. He walked the rest of the way down the stairs, pausing at the last step and staring at Lin as he hung up the phone. 

The man turned around, looking a bit embarrassed to be caught talking about Alex, “Oh hey, I didn’t know–” 

Lin let out a burst of air as the teenager hugged him tightly. Lin wrapped his arms around the boy in surprise.

“Are you alright _mijo?”_ Lin’s voice was concerned,  a tinge of wonder attached to the question. 

Alex nods his head against the mans chest, trying not to cry at the endearment. He wasn’t positive things would be okay with the Miranda’s but if he sent a prayer in hopes that it did, nobody could prove it. 

### Alex playing with Sebastian

When Alex was told that his foster family had a kid, a young one at that, Alex promised himself he would stay far away. He didn’t want to fall into another situation as he had with the Chaters. If he could turn the part of himself that cares off, then he wouldn’t come away with bruised ribs and a black eye. He would let their kid, Sebastian his mind supplied, be at their mercy. It wasn’t his place to step in, he needed to look after himself. He needs to distance himself from the floppy haired child with shining inquisitive eyes. He could do it. It wouldn’t be a problem. It would be fine.

A month has passed since the Mirandas had taken him in and he’s managed to never be left alone with their son, not for lack of trying of course. Lin will pop his head into Alex’s room with the toddler on his hip, asking if Alex could keep an eye on the kid while he an errands. Somehow Alex had managed to navigate his way out of each situation where this had occurred. Just the sound of the small boys babbling talk was enough to put Alex on edge.

He didn’t want Lin and Vanessa to push the relationship between their actual son and him. It didn’t feel right, he wasn’t theirs, not really. They were a well off, happy family. He honestly wasn’t sure why they had allowed him to come stay with them. They were the perfect family unit. Thinking about it made his mind race and his breath quicken. He didn’t want to be a burden or become attached but honestly, Alex wasn’t sure he could survive another home. He was tired. That kind of bone wariness that only happens when you’ve been through the ringer. 

Lin and Vanessa were both out for the evening, something they did every two weeks. Lin said it was to “Keep their marriage interesting.” Vanessa always rolled her eyes and replied that it was really “A day where he buys _me_ dinner for once.” Alex wasn’t sure what to make of their dynamic but he always nodded and gave them a small smile before heading to his room. They hired a babysitter, a nice girl a few years older than Alex to keep an eye on Sebastian. The first time it happened, Alex thought they had hired the girl to watch him, Lin was quick to reassure that was not the case though Alex still had his doubts. 

A knock on his door startled him out of his writing, “Alexander?” 

He sat up from bed and went to open the door. The babysitter was standing there, makeup running in dark streaks, holding Sebastian . “Listen, I gotta take off. Some shit happened at home, and–” She cut herself off, shifting Sebastian’s weight and passing the boy to Alex. 

He gave the girl a wide-eyed look, instantly terrified as the toddler patted his cheek gently. The boy had been reaching out to Alex for weeks, it was easy to see his delight at finally getting what he wanted. 

She saw his panicked face and gave the boy an annoyed sigh,“You’ll be fine. They’ll be back in a couple hours.” she wiped her eyes roughly, making her way downstairs, Alex following helplessly, “Change him into his pajamas and put him to bed.” 

She was out the door before Alex could protest. 

Alex looked at the boy with a faux grin, “It’s okay. We’re gonna be fine.” His voice seemed fake to his own ears, but the toddler couldn’t tell as he spoke nonsense back happily. 

By the time Alex wrestled the boy into his pajamas, he was exhausted and past the point of what he could handle. Every time Alex left Sebastian’s bedroom, the boy started to cry. Hearing the sound and knowing he was the only one in the apartment that could stop the boys distressed had Alex racing to the room. It was a terrible tug and war that went on for ages, Sebastian’s teary eyed gaze finally broke Alex’s resolve. 

He picked the boy up and took him to his room, laying the toddler on his bed and grabbing one of his notebooks. Sebastian let out a sleepy yawn as Alex carefully maneuvered around the small boy, sitting against the backboard of his bed.

“Okay, I’m gonna read to you and you’re gonna fall asleep. That’s it.” He gave the boy a stern look, “Don’t get any ideas either, we’re still not friends.” He opened his notebook, and ignored the unease that was stirring in his stomach. 

He made it through three pages before Sebastian decided that laying down was not acceptable and crawled into Alex’s lap. The teenager sighed and adjusted the boy until they were both comfortable, sliding down the bed until the boy was laying on his stomach. He propped his head on his pillow so he could continue reading, keeping his voice steady as the toddler settled further into his chest, head resting under Alex’s chin. 

When Lin and Vanessa walked through the door, they were instantly concerned that their living room was empty. The couple hurried upstairs, breaking off and checking the boys’ rooms. 

Lin opened the door to Sebastian’s room and sucked in a distressed breath, “Vanessa they aren’t here.” He pulls out his phone, about to dial 911 in his panic. 

The device was primly plucked out of his hand, Lin looked at his wife in protest and surprise. “What-” She raised a finger to her lips shushing him, nodding towards Alex’s door. 

He looked in and his mouth gaped open in surprise. Both his boys were snoring away, Sebastian’s hands tight on Alex’s shirt, Alex’s own arms gripping the toddler lightly to keep him from rolling off the bed. 

Lin reached over, snagging Vanessa by the waist and pulling her close. She turned and kissed the side of his head. Their little family was finally coming together. 

### where Lin calls Alex mijo

It’s borderline the third day that Alex hasn’t slept and to say he’s exhausted would be an understatement. 

If his brain would stop for a second, just a bit of a reprieve, he could give into the fatigue that had been making his eyes burn since he hit the twenty four hour mark. He glanced at the clock, it was only three in the afternoon. If he went to sleep now it would just mess him up more in the long run. He could power through, he’d gone longer without sleep. 

He ran an agitated hand through his hair, he didn’t like it when he got to this stage in his insomnia. Everything felt like it was in slow motion, his limbs were heavy, and even though his mind was loud, it took a while to process things. 

A knock at the door startled him, he glanced around his bedroom trying to remember what he had been doing. The journal in his lap was helpful in that aspect, but he couldn’t make out the chicken scratch to discover what he had been working on. 

“Alex?” Lin’s energetic voice broke through Alex’s thoughts. 

Alex blinked slowly at the door, keeping up with the man on a good day was a challenge. With everything reaching his brain with the speed of molasses, dealing with Lin was going to be trying to say the least. 

The knob twisted, and the man came in, looking around with concern. “I wouldn’t have come in if you’d have answered…” 

Lin paused, taking in the sight of the teenager. Whatever he saw made him instantly cross into the bedroom fully and walk over to the boy. 

“Oh Alex _,”_ Lin’s voice was concerned, as he put a hand on Alex’s forehead. 

Alex blinked, distantly shocked at the speed Lin had managed to cover in such a short amount of time. He normally didn’t like it when his personal space was invaded but the cool hand on Alex’s flushed skin was okay, he unthinkingly leaned into Lin. 

Lin hand ran his fingers through Alex’s hair, pushing it away from his face. 

“Alex, kiddo, when’s the last time you slept?” 

It took a moment for Alex to process the words, responding with a shrug. He was pretty sure it was three days ago. It may have been longer though?

Lin sighed, pulling the boy from his desk, “You’re going to make yourself sick.” 

Alex didn’t say anything, but he doubted not sleeping was going to get him sick. He wasn’t 100% right now but give him a couple hours and he’d be right as rain. He realized Lin was tugging him to the bed, and in a surge of energy, he pulled himself away from Lin’s hands. 

The man gave him a confused look. 

Alex just shook his head, “I’m not tired.” That was a bold faced lie, every inch of him was screaming for sleep. The walls suddenly seemed to small in this room, he turned and staggered out into the hallway. 

Lin came up behind him, making sure he didn’t collapse as Alex made his way downstairs. Collapsing on the couch, he could feel the last of his energy reserves fade away. 

Lin moved around the living room, turning on the tv and putting on some mindless movie before making his way back to the couch. Alex watched him with burning eyes, trying to keep them open for as long as he could. It felt better out here. There was more air to breathe.

Lin slid in next to him, sitting with his feet resting on the coffee table. Alex suddenly realized he was lying on the majority of the couch. With a touch of shame, he raised himself on shaky arms, determined to give the other man room. 

Lin made a noise of protest, “No, lay back down. Come on, we’re gonna watch a movie.” The man poked at the boys shoulder, his words calming Alex enough to where he did as he was told. 

The beginning sounds of a disney song sounded through the room, as Alex stared blearily at the screen. His eyes were heavy but despite how many times he closed them, they adamantly blinked open. 

A blanket was suddenly draped over the length of his body, causing him to jump. 

“You’re fine Alex _,”_ Lin reassured, seeing the boy jump, “Just making sure you don’t get sick from being cold.” He paused, looking back towards the t.v., “Did I ever tell you that I knew the guy who wrote the music score for this movie?” 

Alex shook his head against the cushion, the position making his neck ache, letting out a creaky, “No.” 

“I bet your neck is hurting already from being like that, here.” Lin reached over and grabbed one of the throw pillows that was resting on the recliner, angling it on his lap for Alex to rest on. 

If Alex had been anything but the zombie he was, he would have rejected such an offer, but the crick in his neck and heaviness in his bones had him moving without much protest. 

Once Alex was comfortable, Lin started his commentary on the movie as each piece of music began. Alex let the hum of the man’s words wash over him. A gentle hand running through his hair made his eyes grow heavier than before. 

It wasn’t long after that Alex fell asleep, his breath evening out. Lin looked down at the boy with a small frown, “Oh _mijo,_ we’ve gotta work on these bad habits of yours.” 

“Did Alex finally crash?” Vanessa walked through the living room quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. 

Lin shot her a confused look, “You knew he was getting like this? Why’d you let it get that bad?”

Vanessa frowned, “I wanted to see his limits, its definitely past the point of healthy behavior. We need to set up an appointment with the doctor.” She gave Alex a concerned look before stepping into the kitchen to do just that. She was never one to beat around the bush. If there was a problem, she was the first to try and fix it.  

Lin ran another hand through the boys hair, relaxing into the couch. Vanessa and him were in this for the long haul with Alex. Lin knew that they would get whatever the boy needed. He leaned back and closed his eyes, the kid had gotten under his skin in the few short months he’s stayed with them. Lin was sure he could move mountains if Alex needed him. _Part of being a parent,_ Lin mused as he dozed off. 

### fosterdadlin who still wrote and did in the heights and showing it to Alex like!!!! look at my brain child!!! and Alex tries to play it off but lowkey is in love w carnaval del barrio

“Yo,” Lin jumped into the living room, spinning on his heel and thrusting his arms out widely. 

Alex gave him a curious look, putting down his pen. He yanked at his collar in irritation. The power had gone out all over New York thanks to the sudden heat wave. Alex thought back to his argument concerning climate change distantly, if people didn’t thing it was a real thing he would eat his own shoes. Well, maybe not his shows, Vanessa had given him the new pair a month after he had been living with the Mirandas he wouldn’t want to seem ungrateful. 

“ Why is everyone so happy? We’re sweating and we have no power!” Lin’s voice was petulant as he sang the words. 

Alex rolled his eyes, Lin got like this at least once a day. Singing randomly about something, normally it was a song Alex could vaguely recognize. That wasn’t the case this time. 

Lin continued on, Alex tried to ignore him but his head snapped up at the Spanish,“Ay por favor.” 

Lin caught the boys eyes and smiled widely, “Ah, I see my first child caught your attention now, didn’t it?” 

Alex gave Lin an unimpressed look, “I’ve never heard a musical like that before.” 

Lin let out a wounded noise and proceeded to tell Alex everything about his first brainchild. Alex refused to drop the uninterested look from his face, but he was amazed. 

Lin didn’t need to hear Alex’s approval, he could tell from the boys eyes that he was dazzled. Lin couldn’t help the swell of pride when he walked by Alex’s room the next day and heard the melodies of carnaval del barrio. 

### Alex has like a full blown panic attack and Lin is a perfect cinnamon roll through the whole thing

The lines on the page don’t make sense, nothing was making sense. He had so much stuff to do and there was no time to do it. He shouldn’t have waited to finish this paper. There was never going to be enough time to revise, never enough time to triple check what he wrote. 

He sat, frozen in horror as he stared at the essay that blinked on the screen in front of him. It seemed that the opened word document was mocking him, Alex could feel his heart pounding a pattern into his ribcage. How was he supposed to finish this when he was running out of time. 

“Yo, Alex whats crackin’ my main man.” Lin’s cheerful voice interrupted Alex’s terrified inner monologue. 

The cushion dipped beside him, causing his computer to slide off his knees and fall forward onto his chest. He didn’t register the pain, continuing to stare ahead. Trying to breath through the panic that had suddenly and viciously swallowed him whole. 

Alex heard a mumbled “Oh shit.” before his computer was pulled from his lap. He wanted to reach out and tug it back. There wasn’t time for any of his nonsense right now. He had work to do. 

A hand grasped his face on either side, pulling Alex forward until he was eye level with Lin. Alex blinked owlishly at the man, trying to puzzle out the events that had just taken place. 

“Oh _mijo,_ look at me. We’re gonna breath together.” He removed one of his hands, making a grab for Alex’s limp arms that hung uselessly in his lap. He tugged until the boys palm was resting against his chest. 

Alex was giving Lin his full attention, his breathing caught somewhere between his throat and lungs. His eyes must have showed his panic because the man began talking again soothingly. 

“Hey, it’s okay.” He pressed Alex’s hand against his chest, “We’re gonna take a big gulp of air and then hold in for five seconds, okay? Give me a sign that you understand what I’m saying.” 

Alex jerked his head, focussing on his hand, the shame that came from being weak was distant as he fought to keep from passing out. 

“Alright, you’re doing great. Let’s breathe, you can do it. Just copy me.” Lin sucked in an exaggerated breath, holding it in. Alex copied the movements as best he could. Then finally, after a few more tense minutes, Alex’s frantically beating heart began to slow down.  

Alex began to move back, regret and shame echoing in his voice as he apologized with a weak “Sorry.” 

Lin shook his head, “Don’ t be silly,” he made his way to the couch, pulling Alex into his side with one arm. “Are you feeling better?” 

Alex nodded against the mans shoulder. He wasn’t ready to talk but he didn’t feel like his chest was going to explode from lack of oxygen anymore. 

Lin squeezed Alex gently, “Things will be alright, it’ll just take some time to get there.” 

Alex closed his eyes, he was sick of waiting for things to be better. But actually having someone who cared about him… he leaned more heavily into Lin’s side. It would be enough, at least for now. 

### Fosterdadlin being relentless with dad jokes towards Alex

Lin had been ‘cooking’ for over an hour and Alex was pretty sure he was going to die. His stomach was twisting in a painful way, he was pretty sure it was eating itself.  

Ever since moving in with Lin and Vanessa, he had become accustomed to eating three whole meals a day. It took months, to get into the habit. When the couple had first realized his eating habits, they sat him down and told them they were going to ‘fix it’ 

So now his body had an internal clock that actually reminds him food is important. And it had been ringing angrily for the last hour. 

“Lin, please tell you’re almost done.” He gave up watching the other man, placing his head on the cool table impatiently. 

There was the sound of scraping, Lin made a considering noise “Ah, no not yet I think if I add a little more-” 

Alex groaned, lifting his head up, whining, “I’m hungry.” 

Lin stopped what he was doing, placing the spatula down carefully on the counter. 

Alex froze, suddenly concerned that he had overstepped his boundaries, “I’m sorry I-” 

Lin turned around on his heel, giving Alex a look that made him halt his apology in its tracks, “Hi, hungry,” He held out his hand, “I’m dad.” 

The man began to laugh at his own joke, while Alex sighed. Being the foster kid of a manchild was exhausting. 

### Alex being upset about not being hungry for dinner but not wanting to hurt anyone's feelings

He’d been with Lin and Vanessa for a week now. His face was finally loosing the bruised edges and his ribs finally weren’t sending sharp pains through his body when he sat down. 

When the couple had first picked him up from Fairfax’s office, he thought they were going to try and hit him on the spot. He had never seen such anger in a person’s face. He remembers bracing himself for impact that never came, a soft hand resting on his bruised cheek caused him to flinch. The kind gesture unsettled him more than any physical attack could ever hope to achieve. 

“Alex? Is something wrong? Do you not like Chinese?” Vanessa broke through his thoughts like a cold bucket of water. 

He sat up straight from where he had begun to slump in his seat, continuing to push the food around on his plate. “No, ma’am, its fine.” his voice was barely louder than a whisper, he didn’t want to reignite the rage that he had seen in the woman’s eyes. 

“Are you sure? I’m sure we have stuff for a sandwich if you prefer?” Lin’s voice continued. He seemed sincere, but Alex didn’t have the heart to tell the couple he was just not hungry. Food would turn his stomach, his insides were twisted from the fear of not knowing what the future held. 

He bit the inside of his lip, the few bites he managed to eat stirring uncomfortable in his stomach, “May I be excused?” 

He got the go ahead, and he carefully left his seat, walking towards the stairs to his bedroom. Alex collapsed on his bed, closing his eyes to fight against the nausea

### lin dealing w a sick alex for the first time

“Okay, so after Daveed leaps from the table like a fucking kangaroo–” Lin’s cut off by the shrill sound of an irate cellphone. 

He looks towards his castmates in exasperation, “Are you guys kidding right now? You know phones are supposed to be off during rehearsals.” 

“Don’t look at us, man, your the only person I know who hasn’t changed their ringtone from that god awful marimba.” Anthony retorts, stretching out his sore muscles. 

Daveed snorts, “He’s probably doesn’t know how to change it.” Soft laughter fills the room that promptly becomes chatter as Lin waves them off. 

“Alright, take five. Leave me alone.” he walks over to the table, picking up phone in irritation.   

“Hello?” He says, as nicely as possible. 

There’s some typing on the other end, before a harried voice over the end clears her throat, “Yes, I’m trying to reach a Lin-Manuel Miranda?” 

He rolls his eyes at the butchering of his name, “This is him speaking.” 

She clears her throat again, “Oh good, well this is the nurse from Avery, Alex isn’t feeling very well. He has a temperature and needs to be picked up.” 

Lin’s annoyance immediately melted into concern, “Is he okay? Can I talk to him?” 

She sighed over the line, “I suppose. One second.” There’s some shuffling, muffled sounds of the phone being passed over.

“Hi Lin.” Alex’s voice croaks out, Lin feels his heart twist. He starts throwing his stuff together, Alex sounded like death warmed over. 

He does his best to stay calm and keep the worry out of his voice, “Hey buddy, heard you aren’t feeling so great.” 

He puts his hand over the speaker, addressing the room at large, “Alex is sick.” A chorus of distressed noise takes over the room, Lin waves his hands to get everyones attention, “Yeah, I know. I’ve gotta go get him from school. Tommy will let you know when rehearsals will start back up.” With that he flicked his hand in the air, rushing out the door. 

Once he’s outside, he takes his hand off the speaker, his voice becoming gentle, “I’m on my way to come get you. Should be there in fifteen minutes, I’m gonna grab us a cab so you don’t have to walk, alright?” 

There’s the sharp sound of dry coughing on the other end, a few more seconds pass like that, Lin has the phone gripped tightly to his face, waving frantically at the yellow cabs rushing by. 

“I’m sorry. I told them not to call you. You’ve got rehearsals this week.” The teenager sounded miserable, defeated in a way that Lin had never heard before.  

Lin sighed with relief as a cab pulled over, opening the door he flung himself inside. “Alex, you’re more important than any silly old rehearsal, okay?”

Alex let out a shaky breath, the sound echoing through the phone, “Okay.” He sounded so young, and Lin’s worry went up a notch. He shouted directions at the cabbie who nodded and merged back into traffic. 

“You just sit tight, I’ll be there soon. I promise.” Lin’s voice wasn’t frantic, but he was vibrating in his seat with the need to make things better. 

Alex responded, his voice quiet and unsure. “Yeah, okay. I’ll see you soon.” he hung up the phone. 

Lin pulled the device from his ear and looked at it with a frown. Something wasn’t right, he had never dealt with Alex being sick before but the uncertainty in his voice made Lin’s stomach twist with unease. 

When he got to the school and found Alex curled in a ball in the middle of the sickbed, the feeling only intensified. 

When Alex opened his eyes, blinking hard to get them into focus, the surprise  on his face at Lin’s presence nearly broke the man’s heart. 

“You came?” he whispered, looking at Lin with wonder.

Lin swallowed heavily, “Of course I did, I promised didn’t I?” He leaned down, running a tender hand through Alex’s hair, feeling the heat of the boys fever, “Why don’t we go home?”

Alex nodded slowly, “Yeah, that be good. Let’s go there.” 


	2. Chapter 2

### Ok but Alex refusing sleep aids because he's afraid of not being lucid or in control

* * *

“Alex, you need to take the pills. Doctor Mahoney prescribed them to you for this very reason.” Lin shook the pill bottle at the disheveled boy in exasperation.   

Alex shook his head, his arms hugged is knees. “No. I don’t care what he says, I don’t want to take them.” 

Lin sighed, sitting on the corner of the teenagers bed. The boy was sitting against the headrest, his knees pulled up against his chest. His body language screaming ‘go away.’ 

Lin sighed again,  “Listen, Alex-”  

The exhaustion had finally caught up with the boy as the pricks of tears began to gather at the corner of his eyes, “Please don’t make me Lin.” Alex gave the man a heartbreaking look, “Please.” 

Lin shook his head, heart hurting but staying firm, “I know you’re tired, why don’t you just take one? That’s half of what you’re supposed to take.”

Alex began to tremble, “Please.” The bags under his eyes were stark against his pale skin. 

“Oh Alex,” Lin wanted to reach out and console the boy but had a feeling his touch would be unwelcome. 

“I’m scared that I won’t be able to wake up.” Alex’s voice was barely above a whisper. 

Lin gave the boy a reassuring look “You’ll be able to wake up kiddo, these are just gonna help you fall asleep.” 

Alex continued to stare at the pill bottle warily. 

“How about I stick around? That way if something happens and you need to be woken up I’ll be right here to do it.” Lin thinks the compromise will work, he can see Alex beginning to waver. 

“You don’t have to do that, I’ll be fine.” His voice was unsure, Lin could tell that asking to stay was the right call. He shook out a single pill, handing it to Alex who reluctantly swallowed it dry. 

“I want to stay, now lay down.” Alex gave him another look as he did as he was told, Lin stood up and pulled the blanket over the boys small frame. He went to the recliner that was shoved into the corner of the room. “Close your eyes, I’ll be here. I promise.”  

Alex nodded into his pillow, closing his eyes. 

Lin flicked the lights off and settled into the uncomfortable chair vigilantly watching over Alex through the night. And if his eyes burned from lack of sleep in the morning? Nothing a good cup of coffee couldn’t fix.

### Maybe for foster dad Lin could you do something based on that eating disorder ask you got. Where Alex gets more self conscious as he gains weight when living with Lin.

* * *

 

“I eat too much.” Alex’s unhappy words broke through Lin’s speech about the importance of comma placement. He flips the pancake onto a plate before turning to the teenager with a raised eyebrow. 

Alex looked down blushing, “I’m sorry it’s just that since coming to live with you and Nessa I-” 

Lin pointed his spatula at the boy cutting him off, “Kiddo, you know you’re suppose to eat three times a day right? That is what the normal diet for the average human being is projected as.” 

Alex shook his head in disagreement, “I’ve never had three meals a day in any of the places I grew up.” 

Lin sighed, turning off the stove before facing the teen. “What made this come up all of a sudden?” 

Alex shrugged, his voice was soft, “I don’t know.” 

Lin crossed the room crouching in front of Alex, waiting till the boy met his eyes. His made sure to keep his tone steady, as he continued to prompt the boy into answering. “Sure you do, every feeling comes from somewhere. Where’d this one come from?” 

Alex shrugged again fidgeting with the sleeves of his shirt, “I just noticed, when I was getting dressed…” He trails off, looking away from Lin. 

The man puts a reassuring hand on his leg, squeezing it slightly. “And?” 

Alex hunched, “I just noticed that I could see my stomach.” 

Lin shook his head, “Alex, _mijo,_ you aren’t supposed to see your ribs.” 

Alex didn’t say anything, just sat there quietly. 

“Look, do you remember when we saw the Doctor?” That got Alex’s attention, his face becoming pinched. Lin let out a sigh, “Yeah, I know. You weren’t a fan.” 

“His hands were cold.” Alex’s answer didn’t elaborate, the teen had been panicky for days afterwards. But it had been worth it. Alex had received the medications he needed. 

“Right,” Lin agreed, continuing, “but he also told us that you were underweight.” 

“I didn’t know that.” Alex admitted, sounding small. 

Lin stood back up, ruffling the boys hair. “It’s not something you need to worry about, just know that you’re doing great. You’re at a healthy weight and should be proud of yourself that you’re picking up good eating habits.” He walked back over to the stove to continue making breakfast. 

Alex bit his lip, the praise making him feel uncomfortably warm. “Okay.” 

Lin turned back around, flashing the boy a kind smile. “Definitely better than okay kid, you’re doing great.” 

Alex nodded, his face hot. 

### lin using alex's full name and alex thinking he's in trouble but lin just starts talking really excitedly about alex's writing

* * *

 

“Alexander Hamilton.” Lin’s voice echoed loudly through the apartment, startling Alex. He glanced at his bedroom door, warily. Lin never called him by his full name, it could only mean one thing. He was in trouble. 

Alex walked down the stairs like a soldier entering a warzone. He hadn’t been with the Mirandas long, only a few months. In that time they had never raised a hand against him. But as he entered the kitchen, he was wary that the pattern was going to change. 

“There you are! Took you long enough.” Lin’s excited energy was shown through the way he skittered about the kitchen, throwing his hands in the air with exasperation, “Why didn’t you tell me you entered the Young Authors of New York contest?”

Alex gave him a look of surprise, “You heard about that?” 

Lin nodded enthusiastically, “I’m so proud of you.” 

Alex blushed looking at his socked feet, unsure of what to say. 

### How would Lin react to Alex sleeping on the floor/Alex having a nightmare???

* * *

 

The nightmares he normally had involved his mother. She was fine one moment, healthy, warm, caring and the next minute she was gone. Her whole being snatched away from him in the cruelest of ways. 

He would wake up drenched, sweat pooled at his temples, breath coming out in sharp pants. On the rare occasion, his nightmares would combine the tragedies of his life. Those were the worst. The hurricane, Uncle Peter, and his mom all rolled up into one disturbing flash of images. When those happened, he would lie awake for hours, frozen in fear, shaking. It got so bad that he’d hug himself tightly, afraid that pieces of him would break away if he didn’t hold himself together. 

Alex could tell when he was going to have a bad night. There would be an uncomfortable twist in his gut right before he closed his eyes. His last thought before he drifted off was wondering if he remembered to lock the door. 

_The wind howled loudly, the glass of the windows groaning at the pressure. Rain pelted down heavily. Alex stood in the middle of the small apartment, unable to move. Shadows danced just out of his field of vision. He hears screaming, coughing, his mother’s face appears. He reaches out. The windows explode, he closes his eyes against the whipping rain and glass. When he manages to open them again, she’s gone. He’s alone. Always alone._

“Alex, c’mon kiddo, you’re okay.” An urgent voice had Alex’s sitting upright instantly, a scream dying at the back of his throat. 

Alex wraps his arms around himself tightly, trying to hold in the sobs that began to break free. He can feel the tears rolling down his face, he wants to rub at them. Make them go away. He’s not weak. He’s not. Mamá’s been gone for almost a year now. The thought makes him sob even harder. She should be here, with him. She should–

A warm hand was suddenly on his leg, his eyes snapped open, unable to determine the person through the tears. 

“Alex, kiddo, you’re okay. Do you know where you are?” The voice was soothing but distant. 

Alex didn’t have the energy to shake off the hand as he continued sobbing into his pillow.

The voice continued calmly, “You’re in upper Manhattan, today is April 25th, and you’re completely safe.”  There was the sound of movement and a dip in his bed. A gentle hand rubbed circles into his back. 

Alex choked on another sob as his vision started to clear and his breathing began to slow. He shut his eyes tightly, the embarrassment of having Lin calming him down like he was some kid. 

“Don’t start that _mijo,”_ Lin’s voice was stern.

 Alex turned and looked up, Lin was giving him a concerned look.

“I know you’re not completely comfortable with touching, but I really wanna give you a hug.” Lin’s voice was barely above a whisper, as if he were trying to keep the room calm from his voice alone.

Alex rubbed a hand over his face, wiping away at the tears that continued to fall. He nodded his head, turning into Lin’s side. He didn’t care right now, he felt like he was breaking apart at the seams and needed someone to hold him together. 

Lin tugged him closer, resting his chin on Alex’s head as he consoled the teen, “Everything’s going to be okay.” 

### i wanna see alex interacting with lin's dog

* * *

 

Alex gave the dog a stern stare as he began to shut the door to his bedroom, “Please don’t scratch.” He closes the door another inch, his eyes burning with lack of sleep, “I’m begging you, please just go lay down.”

Tobi stared at him forlornly, eyes sad. She lays down, her head resting on her paws, giving Alex a betrayed look. 

Alex sighed, running a hand through his in agitation.

“Look, ” he leans against the doorframe, trying to negotiate with the animal. “Lin’ll be back soon, why don’t you sleep downstairs so you can hear him come home?” 

 The dog offered no comment. 

“I’m tired Tobi,…” He crouched down, scratching her ears gently, “I don’t speak dog, I –” 

He was cut off as Tobi rushed forward, darting around Alex into the bedroom. Alex fell backwards, staring at the dog openly as she jumped on his bed. He had no idea how a dog could look smug but Tobi managed. 

Alex shook his head, resigned, “Fine. You can stay.” He pushed himself to his feet, closing the door and climbing back into bed, flicking the light off as he went. He pulled the blanket over him, sighing as Tobi curled up against his chest. He ran a hand over her, “This isn’t going to be a thing.”

She sighed, content, cuddling closer to Alex. 

Alex tapped her nose, causing here eyes to snap open, “and you won’t tell anyone how you tricked me. I will never admit that I was outsmarted by a dog.” 

She licked his finger in response. 

### lin & v's reaction when alex brings home his bf john for the first time !! 

**alex introducing john to fosterdad!llin**

**fr the fosterdadlin au: since its an au of RU is alex still into john? how does alex tell the fam abt that?? (I love this au I am living)**

**Idk if lams exists in fosterdadLin but could you imagine Lin seeing that Alex likes John and he starts shipping it. Aggressively.**

* * *

He likes John, there wasn’t a freckle out of place or an opinion that Alex couldn’t get on board with. If Alex were to pick up a pen and think about the other teenager, he couldn’t be responsible for the poetry that fell from his hand. Because that’s what John was. Poetry. In the way he smiled, the way his eyes lit up with passion, the careful concentration on his face when he sketched, the way he would flush when he was angry. John wrote poetry by existing and Alex was never one to silence the words when they came to him. He should have known it was only a matter of time before his infatuation was discovered. 

He had been friends with John for about a month, the two were glued to each others hips at school. Alex wasn’t even known for being the new kid anymore, he was just known as the other part of their dynamic duo. One line that Alex hadn’t crossed was bringing his best friend home. He’d lived with the Mirandas for the same amount of time, and though he was growing more comfortable with them, Alex wasn’t sure about how they would react if he brought a boy over. And honestly, he wasn’t willing to risk it. 

That plan was thrown out the window for two reasons. 

1\. John wanted to meet Lin. 

2\. Lin found his poetry. 

The first was understandable. Alex didn’t share much about his past but he had a lot to say about the present. Especially about his foster father. He had never met anyone who seemed as genuinely good as Lin appeared to be. He was still on the fence about the family but Alex was ready to rope the moon from the stars if it would make John happy. So he told the other boy maybe. 

That maybe turned into an insufferable yes when Lin found a stray piece of paper with a few stanzas of a poem that Alex had been working on. The scrap must have fallen out of his notebook and when he had realized it was his words that Lin was reading out loud, Alex wanted to curl up and let the world swallow him whole. It wasn’t even one of his more emotional pieces, but there were still words describing freckles as the constellations to love, truth and beauty. 

0-0-0-0-0

“If you don’t really want me to meet him it’s okay. I get that this is a thing for you.” 

Alex looked over, John was giving him a reassuring smile and seemed to be telling the truth. They were standing in front of the Miranda’s apartment, as they had been for the past five minutes. Alex had tried to move but his feet seemed glued to the ground. 

“I want you to meet him.” He whispered, giving John a pained smile, “I just can’t seem to remember how to move my feet.” 

John let out a light laugh, pushing on his shoulder lightly. “You can spin an argument in zero seconds flat but can’t remember how to walk?” 

Alex shrugged, leaning closer to John with the momentum from the shove. He took a deep breath, John’s laughter giving him the strength that had momentarily left him, taking a step forward. “Yeah, let’s go.” 

At that moment the door opened wide. Lin standing with his hair in a bun and his eyes alight with excited energy. “I thought you were never gonna move, had me worried for a moment there kiddo.” Lin gave John a searching look, his eyes landing heavily on the boys face, “This must be Freckles.” He held out his hand. 

Alex blushed. 

John gave Lin a confused but friendly smile, shaking the man’s hand politely. “It’s John actually, John Laurens.” 

_This isn’t going to go well,_ Alex thought to himself as he and John were ushered inside by a bright eyed Lin. 

0-0-0-0-0-0

An hour later, John is waving goodbye to Alex (whose face hasn’t faded from bright red the whole visit) and Lin (whose been shooting Alex knowing). 

As soon as the Lin shuts the door, he twirls facing Alex, his face serious.

Alex felt his heart begin to pick up speed. 

“You need to marry him.” his voice was sure and firm. 

It took a moment for the words to process, giving Lin a blank look. 

Lin threw his hands in the air, “No seriously. He’s cute, and you’re so cute when he talks to you. That boy is so in love with you too.” He slaps a hand to his forehead in exasperation, “I can’t even handle the two of you.” 

“I don’t understand.” Alex said quietly, dazed. 

Lin walked back to the sofa, collapsing with a world weary sigh. “He looked at you like you hung the stars, and you looked at him like he was the stars.” He gave the gaping teenager a stern look, “Alex, my man, you gotta step up and ask him out. It would be perfect. I’m sure of it, you guys are perfect for each other.” His eyes widen, hastily digging in his pocket for his phone, “Oh god, wait till Vanessa hears about Freckles. She’s gonna be so upset she missed this.” He begins to text frantically.

Alex’s own phone chimes with a text alert. He unlocks the screen. 

**(1) New Text From John Laurens**

**_Thanks for having me over, it was just as awesome as I thought it would be! :) Wanna hang out after school tomorrow? Ice cream on me?_ **

Alex smiled, and is about to reply when he is interrupted by the unmanly squealing of his foster father. He looks over and sees the man sprawled out on the couch, seemingly melting into the furniture with the emotions.

He points at Alex accusingly, “That’s him isn’t it.” Alex doesn’t respond, looking down sheepishly, “Oh my god. Of course it is, look at your _face_.” 

Alex smiles innocently as Lin who groans in exasperation. 

### Lin telling Alex that he loves him? Like "ohmygod I love you so much kid, you're actually my son" or something like that?

* * *

Alex had taken one of Lin’s scrapped songs and was doodling over the lyrics absentmindedly as he waited for the man to get off the phone. 

Alex liked reading the lyrics that Lin had thrown to the side, it was interesting to see the mans thought process. It was similar to his own, frantic and constant. When those two things didn’t happen simultaneously, he became stuck. Unable to continue with the heavy weight of unfinished business. 

He connects the last verse with one in the middle, creating a new meaning for the discarded song. When he adjusted the lines, adding a couple words here and there, the song was sad. A memorable song about a wish to go home instead the happy tune it had been before. He put his pen down and cocked his head, even Alex was impressed by his ability to make even the happiest of things sad. 

“What do you got there?” Lin’s curious voice interrupted his train of thought, causing him to look up. 

He held out the piece of paper, “One of the things you scrapped.” 

Lin took the offered item reading over it quickly, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise. 

Alex cringed at the look, “I’m sorry, I–” 

Lin shook his head, “No this is perfect, it’s exactly what needs to happen. This song is about the _longing_ for happiness. It was missing the right…yes.” He walks quickly to his piano, playing the tune slowly and singing softly to himself. 

Eyes widening with realization, he turns back to Alex. “You’re brilliant.” 

Alex gives the man an amused look, his panic receding. “I just moved around what you had.” 

Lin shook his head again, “No seriously, you’re brilliant. I love you so much kid, you figured out what I’ve been stuck on for _days_.” He turns back to the piano, playing the tune again humming to himself. 

Alex blushed at the mans declaration, pulling at the hem of his sweater. Leave it to Lin to make such a declaration and immediately get lost in the work seconds later. 

Lin turned back to Alex, giving the teenager a hopeful smile, “Wanna help me finish the song?” 

Alex nodded, walking over to the piano bench and sitting down. 

### Yo! Can you expand on Alex being freaked out at the doctors office? The time you mentioned in the prompt you answered about the eating thing?

* * *

 

He hunched down in the plastic chair, eyes bouncing around the waiting room uneasily. He didn’t want to be here. Doctor’s offices were always bad news and they never fixed anything. Not in time anyway. They just told you stuff you didn’t want to know.

Alex shot a look at Lin, the man was scrolling aimlessly on his phone. Alex wasn’t quite sure what to make of the man. He was all smiles and energy, never angry. He was patient. All things that put Alex on edge. He wasn’t sure what to expect. How could he? Alex had never met a grown man that had good intentions. 

It felt like they were at an impasse in their new relationship. Lin was refusing to push and Alex wouldn’t dare pull. He had learned better than that. 

And yet, when the nurse called him to the back, he could feel the panic begin to stir in his veins. A combination of the shame and fear that he knew would happen as a  result of a strangers touch. He threw a desperate look towards Lin who was watching him carefully. 

“You know,” the man started, trying to seem nonchalant, “I wouldn’t mind coming back with you.” A wet cough beside Lin made the man grimace, “I have a feeling it would be more sanitary in an examination room.” 

Alex’s shoulders loosened, “Yeah. Okay. If you want.” He tried to match the same tone of nonchalance as Lin but the panicked edge in his voice was evident. 

Lin gave him a sincere smile before standing up, “Alright, lets get to it then.” 

### But with it being mothers day do you maybe have a FDL involving more of Vanessa of some sort? Like they could totally bond over lawyer things idk? 

* * *

They didn’t celebrate Mother’s Day on Nevis, if Alex’s mother wasn’t working she was sleeping. 

Yet, here in America it was apparently a big deal. Honestly the whole thing would have slipped his mind if it hadn’t been for John’s melancholy mood. Alex wasn’t the most sensitive person around but when he noticed his friends silence, he had taken it upon himself to figure out the cause. 

That was two days ago. Now he’s sitting at the kitchen table at 5am nervous, his hands fidgeting as he looks at the odd assortment he gathered in a rush over the past couple of days. He had been with the Mirandas for a few months, long enough to feel slightly comfortable. He had the most interactions with Lin but he did like Vanessa. She was kind and always had a way of shutting Lin down when his energy levels became to high. Alex liked her, she was calm, steady, and she knew a lot about the going ons of New York since she was in the middle of all the court cases. 

He looked at the things he had purchased, a card, a flower, and a pen that he spent the majority of his money on. He ran a light finger over the box it was resting in, it was a lawyers pen. One that you could get refills of ink when it ran out. Alex’s began to tap his foot in agitation, this was stupid he shouldn’t have done any of this. He stood up, pushing away from the table. If he went upstairs now he could just pretend none of this had happened. Like he hadn’t bought her anything and that he hadn’t been waiting since 4 just in case she got up early to leave for work. 

He nods to himself, preparing to leave. 

“Alex?” A gentle voice enters the kitchen, the distinct sound of heels echoing through the room. 

Alex freezes. 

“It’s really early,” Vanessa comes in and turns on the coffee maker, “Did you have trouble sleeping again?” She turns around, her face full of concern. 

Alex takes a deep breath, focusing, shaking his head, “No. I…”  He trails off, trying to strengthen his resolve. He can do this, he can. 

Vanessa gives him a searching look, her eyes drifting over to the table where Alex’s body is blocking it from her view. 

“Did something break? You know whatever it was we can get it fixed, there’s no reason to be upset.” She tried, attempting to put his anxiety at ease. 

Alex shook his head, turned on the heel of his foot and grabbed the items on the table, shoving them at Vanessa before taking a step back and staring. 

She looked down in surprise, her face melding from shock to something softer. 

Alex ran a hand through his hair, inching out of the kitchen towards the stairs, “Yeah…uh… happy Mother’s Day. I’m gonnna go to bed now.” He was in the doorway, staring widely at Vanessa. 

Just as he was about to slip into the next room, she found her voice, “Thank you Alex.” 

Alex paused in his retreat, their eyes met and he could feel his face heat up, “Yeah. You’re welcome.” He disappeared from the room, but couldn’t help the smile that broke out across his face. 

### I have a lot of homework. So does Alex? 

* * *

Alex was hunched over the table, books scattered everywhere. His notes were smudged as he wrote over the already filled lines of paper with a manic pace. There wasn’t enough time to review everything, the test was tomorrow. He had only been studying for three days. His eyes were blurring the words. There wasn’t enough TIME. And. And. And. He could feel his breath coming out in short pants, there really wasn’t time for this either. 

“Alex?” 

Alex looked up from his books, panicked. 

Lin was standing with a cup of coffee in his hand, looking at Alex with concern. 

“You alright buddy?” He takes the seat beside Alex, watching him carefully as the teen continues to harshly suck in breaths. 

Alex doesn’t have the ability for words so he just nods. 

“Yeah.” Lin shakes his head, reaching for a scrap of paper, “You don’t look so great, how bout I read to you while you take a second to catch your breath?” 

Alex nods harshly, that would fix all his problems. His swimming eyes, weren’t working but his ears were. He could still study. 

Lin began to read in a calm voice, following Alex’s line of thinking despite the jumbled notes. A solid twenty minutes passed before Lin looked up to see Alex’s breathing had gone back to normal and his eyes were closed. 

“Alright.” Lin said, putting the papers down and standing up. 

Alex’s eyes snapped open, confused. 

“You need to get some sleep.” Lin said sternly, Alex opened his mouth to argue. “No. You’re going to forget everything you did the past week unless you rest that big brain of yours.” 

Alex stared at the other man wordlessly, “But…”

“No buts. Seriously kiddo, you are gonna do great on this test. I believe in you. I need you to get some sleep now. Will you try? For me?” Lin’s voice was borderline pleading. 

Alex nodded, cowed by Lin’s words and tone. 

The following week when Alex gets his score, he silently places the test in Lin’s hands. The red A+ that is circled on the paper is nothing compared to Lin’s proud smile. 

### Alex telling Lin about all of the other foster families/Alex being bullied at school and comes home with bruises and stuff??

* * *

His eye is beginning to swell shut as he limps to door of the apartment.

He hadn’t thought that George would take things this far. Of course it was only because Alex had decided to walk home alone that any of this happened. His friends had some after school thing that Alex didn’t feel like staying behind for. He had an idea for an essay that he wanted to get started on, but now, as he sucks in a painful breath, he wishes he would have stayed with his friends.

He stared at the front door, trying to  work up the courage to go inside. When George had pushed him around before, he had been able to hide the bruises. He hadn’t fought back, mostly because Hercules and Lafayette took care of it before he could even stand back up. If it wasn’t them, John was frothing at the mouth to take his anger out on whoever laid a finger on him. 

Alex doesn’t want to admit, as he unabashedly continues to stare at the door with trepidation, that he’s scared to go inside. He’s tried really hard not to cause problems with the Mirandas. So far, things have been okay. But now… Alex sucks in another sharp breath, his stomach clenching. He’s going to be in trouble. 

He sucks in another breath, and unlocks the door. Slipping inside quickly, praying to a god that he doesn’t believe in that he’s home alone. 

“Hey Alex! How was school?” Lin’s voice destroys those dreams of reprieve and Alex swallows thickly as he locks the door, not facing the man. 

There’s the soft clicking of nails on the floor and Tobi is suddenly by his feet, sitting in front of him, her tail wagging a mile a minute. Alex crouches down, delaying the inevitable as he scratches the pup behind the ears. She leans forward and licks his nose, causing him to huff out a silent laugh. 

“Alex?” Lin asks again, sounding confused. 

He doesn’t want to look up at the man, he can’t hide the marks on his face. The swelling of his eye is obvious, he bites his lip as he continues to pet Tobi, wincing when he realizes it’s split. 

He gives himself a silent pep talk. Trying to convince himself that whatever happens he’ll be able to deal with. Lin didn’t seem to be like Christopher, he had a soft heart. Maybe it wouldn’t be bad. 

He doesn’t get the chance to make a decision because Lin is suddenly in his line of sight. He’s so startled by the sudden appearance of the man that he falls backwards, landing on his butt, eyes as wide as they can get. 

Tobi whines, slinking closer to Alex, trying to get him to continue petting her.  

Lin’s eyes are as big as saucers, “What the fuck?” He leans close taking Alex’s chin in his hand, tilting his face from side to side. 

Alex holds his breath, waiting for a blow. It’s what he deserved. Coming home like this doesn’t reflect well on someone so high in society like Lin is. He deserves to be punished. 

“Alex, kiddo, you need to breath.” Lin’s voice lost its hard edge, his tone comforting.

Alex opens his eyes, not even realizing he closed them in the first place, looking at Lin with confusion.

Lin gave Alex a small smile, “There you are,” He runs a gently thumb under his swelling  eye, the smile melting into a neutral look. “Who did this to you?”

There’s a moment of silence before Alex shrugs, mumbling “Just some kids at school.”

The man shakes his head with exasperation, standing and pulling Alex with him. “You give me their names, we are gonna set this straight right now.” 

Lin begins to march to the kitchen, Tobi following closely behind. He deposits Alex in one of the chairs, pulling his phone out of his pocket. 

Alex looks on in a daze, trying to work out what just happened. His voice is small, barely above a whisper, “Aren’t you mad?”

Lin looked at him, his eyes on fire, “Of course I’m mad.” 

Alex flinches, lowering himself into his seat, crossing his arms over his chest. Something warm settles on his leg, he looks down seeing Tobi looking at him with sad brown eyes. Alex ignores her, keeping his arms crossed tightly over his chest, he knew it was too good to be true. Lin was calling CPS to come get him. He didn’t want someone like Alex living under his roof because he was dangerous. He couldn’t help the sting of tears that threatened to spill over, he breathed heavily trying to stop the tears from falling by sheer will power alone. 

“Alex.” 

Alex shakes his head, “I’m sorry.” 

Lin makes a questioning noise, crouching in front of Alex making eye contact. “What do you have to be sorry about?”

Alex shrugs, biting his lip, “Your mad. I didn’t mean to make you mad. Please don’t send me away.” He can’t help the tears that begin to make their way down his face, he liked living here. He had made friends at school despite the fact that he also made enemies. He didn’t want to leave. 

Lin puts a hand on his knee, squeezing it reassuringly, “I’m not mad at you Alex. I’m upset with whoever hit you. And your not going anywhere, unless you want to of course.” 

Alex blinks in surprise, his left eye flaring in pain. “But who are you trying to call?” he asks, uneasy.

Lin pats his knee, standing and going to the freezer. “The school, to report whoever did it to you.” He pulls out an ice pack, walking back over and placing it over Alex’s eye. 

He shivers slightly at the contact with his skin and grabs the ice pack from Lin, holding it steady. “Don’t do that.” 

Lin crosses his hands across his chest, “Why not? You don’t deserve to be pushed around Alex. This isn’t right. This is assault and the kids who did this should be punished.”  

Alex gives Lin a desperate look, “You would just make it worse, I can handle this. I promise.” 

Lin sighs, deflating,  “I don’t like seeing you hurt.”  

Alex shrugs, trying to reassure the man. “It’s not like it hasn’t happened before, this isn’t even the worst thing. I’ll be alright.”

“What do you mean?” worry coloring the man’s tone. 

“Just…” Alex pauses, giving Lin a considering look, “It’s better than a grown man beating me.” He looks down, running a hand through his hair anxiously, “I can handle kids my own age, I can. I promise.” He looks back up, making eye contact with Lin. 

The man’s eyes are cloudy with swirling emotions, “That’s not okay Alex. You don’t deserve to be hit by anyone. And you shouldn’t have to handle it. You’re a kid, a great, smart, insightful kid who has been through so much.” Lin’s eyes are glassy now, as he continues, “Please let me handle this?” 

Alex swallows hard, “I…” He gives Lin a searching look, seeing the trust and hope in the man’s eyes. “Okay.” he whispers. 

Lin gives him a proud smile, “Thank you.” 

Alex gives him a confused look, “For what?”

The man stands, ruffling Alex’s messy hair, “For letting me help.” 

### Hi...i know this is out of no where and i know that you v. busy and if you cant its okay, but today is a really horrible day for me because its the anniversary of my mother's death and a bunch of school stuff piled on the same day and I wasnt able to go to the cemetery so I was wondering if you could write some FDL about Alex's reaction on the anniversary of his mother's death.

* * *

Alex looked at the calendar with a heavy heart. It was the one year anniversary of his mother’s death. Three hundred and sixty five days had gone by without seeing her face. He swallowed audibly, silencing his morning alarm and hiding under the covers. 

It wasn’t a good day to go to school. Not when he was feeling vulnerable. His quick wit was gone, in place stood a melancholy shell of the person he tried to be. There were good days and bad days of course. Where the grief was too much and everything he had gone through was too heavy for him to even think about moving. That was the first few months of coming to America. He hadn’t had a day like this since coming to the Miranda house. 

But he was. He clenched the blankets tightly around his head, trying to shield himself from the outside world. It felt wrong. The way everyones lives continued while hers ended. It’s like she didn’t even matter. There was nothing she left behind. She made no great changes to the world and nobody remembered her but Alex.

His thoughts are interrupted by a knock at the door. He shuts his eyes tightly curling himself into a ball.

There’s a muffled voice from the other side of the door that Alex ignores as he wills himself to melt into the bed and disappear. 

The sound of the knob turning has Alex squeezing himself tighter. He doesn’t want Lin he wants his mom. He bites his lip to hold back the sob thats making its way up his throat. 

“Hey kiddo you’re gonna be late for school if you don’t get a move on.” Lin’s voice was soft, thinking that Alex was still asleep. He shuffled over to the small lump in the middle of the bed. He reached out a hand, intent on gently shaking the boy awake.

Alex sucked in a breath at Lin’s words. He was sure that the man wouldn’t make him go to school if he pretended he was sick. The covers were suddenly pulled away from his body. Alex had forgone clutching them tightly for hugging himself, fighting through the almost sobs. 

“Alex you can’t hide under…” Lin’s teasing cut off when he catches sight of Alex’s face. 

Alex can’t help the sob that escapes as he sees Lin’s concerned face. 

“Alex, kid, what’s wrong?” Lin’s voice has a panicked edge, “Are you sick? Do we need to go to the hospital?” 

Alex shakes his head, sitting up and running a hand over his face. “No.” His voice is wobbly, not reassuring the other man. 

Lin takes a step forward, careful to ask permission before getting into Alex’s personal space. They had grown close over the past eight months but the man didn’t want to cause the boy any more stress. 

“Can I give you a hug?” Lin’s voice is quiet, watching Alex carefully. 

Alex stares at the man for a moment, trying to gather his bearings. His mom was gone, she wasn’t coming back. She couldn’t. But Lin was here, and he was trying. He was always trying. Alex wiped a hand over his eyes, nodding. 

Lin immediately hopped on the bed, sitting against the backboard, tugging Alex into his side. Alex let out another sob, pushing his face into Lin’s shirt, taking a small bit of comfort.

They were quiet for a long time, Alex’s tears finally slowing down. Lin continued to rub calming circles into the boys back. “What was that about Alex?” he whispered, trying to not disturb the peacefulness of the moment. 

Alex tucked himself closer to Lin, breathing deeply. “My…” he trailed off, closing his eyes. “My mom died today.” he finishes, his voice low and heavy. 

Lin hums sadly, the sound making Alex’s body vibrate. “I’m sorry _mijo,_ is there anything I can do to help?” 

Alex shakes his head, trying to keep his breathing steady. The warmth that accompanied the endearment was lost to Alex today, everything seemed so cold and hopeless. 

“Do you want me to go?” Lin asks after a few minutes, trying to do what’s best for the teenager even though he wants to stay and comfort him. 

Alex takes moment to answer, “Can you stay?” He asks, his voice hesitant, afraid that Lin would say no. 

Lin continues to rub circles into the boys back soothingly, “Of course I’ll stay.” 

### could you do one where Alex trips or something over Sebastian (not really hurting him, just scaring him) and Sebastian starts crying, so Alex backs away because Sebastian is their birth child, so Alex thinks he's more important and doesn't tell Lin that he hurt himself (like a sprained wrist or twisted ankle or something)?

* * *

When Alex got lost in his head, he really didn’t pay attention to where he was going. He had a running list of injuries that he had caused himself by being absentminded. He became more aware out of necessity when he came to the U.S. It may have been a foretelling of sorts that this new found power of observation saved him from things becoming much worse. 

But even then, when he was scared to walk around the corner, he’d lose himself in the constant stream of his thoughts. So it wasn’t really a surprise when he found himself on the floor, barely managing not to step on Sebastian and falling to the ground with a hard thud. 

The loud noise made scared the toddler, and as his wails echoed through the room, Alex felt his heart beat a tattoo into his ribcage. He had scared Sebastian. He swallowed heavily as the quick footfalls of Lin could be heard from upstairs. 

Alex closed his eyes against the little boys sobs, trying to push himself up from the floor. As he tried to push himself into an upright position, his wrist gave a painful throb that had his eyes snapping back open and looking at the pulsing limb with fear. He had landed hard on the offending limb, there was no visible damage besides it rapidly beginning to swell. He cradled the injury close to his chest, managing to prop himself up against the wall. 

He looks over at the toddler, his tears had slowed down and he was giving Alex a doleful look. The teenager winced at the shame of causing the boy unhappiness. It was an accident. He hoped Lin would see it that way too. Alex brought his knees to his chest. Carefully shielding his hurt wrist from view, there was no reason to be more of a burden. 

It was then that Lin reached them, taking in the scene, trying to figure out what was going on. He gave the boys a careful look, crouching down to Sebastian when he raised his hands to be picked up. He gave Alex a confused look,“What happened here?” 

Alex sucked in a breath, Lin didn’t sound mad. His voice was hesitant when he answered, trying to keep the calm that Lin’s presence had created, “I tripped and fell.” 

Lin’s eyebrows shot up, his face concerned. 

Alex hurried to reassure him that Sebastian was okay, “I didn’t step on him. I didn’t. I promise.” There’s a hint of panicked desperation in his voice, “I didn’t Lin. I didn’t.” He can feel tears begin to well up in his own eyes, he bit his lip, trying not to cry. He closed his eyes to stop the escape of tears, holding himself together, trying not to tremble. His wrist was throbbing.

There was a quick murmuring that Alex couldn’t make out behind the pounding in his ears, he focused on taking a deep breath, trying to center himself. 

“Alex.” Lin’s voice was insistent, “Kiddo, look at me. C’mon. Open your eyes, Seb is fine. You know how he is, he cries and then goes to play with his trains.” Lin continued to try and coax Alex into looking at him, gently reassuring him that things were okay. 

Alex took another deep breath before opening his eyes. Lin was sat across from him, with his legs crossed. Sebastian was playing with his toy trains, lost in his own world, having already forgotten the incident. 

“There you are.” Lin says when Alex finally meets his eyes, a concerned but gentle look on his face. “Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?” 

Alex could see that the man was restraining himself to stay seated and not come look for himself, a reminder that Lin was respectful of his boundaries. Alex shook his head, dropping his gaze to his wrist. 

Despite Alex’s lack of words, Lin noticed his eyes drift to his lap. “You gotta let me see it if you hurt yourself kiddo.” His voice was gentle but left no room for an argument. 

The teen swallowed thickly, lowering his legs and mirroring Lin’s way of sitting. He held out his wrist, not looking the man in the eye as he carefully looked at the injury. 

Lin makes an unhappy humming sound as he looks Alex over, “Why don’t we get some ice and see what we should do from there.” He stands up, helping the teen to his feet. 

As Lin leads the way to the kitchen, Alex trails behind him thoughtfully. Lin wasn’t upset, he hadn’t raised his voice, hadn’t assumed the worst. The Miranda household was strange. He sat on a bar stool as Lin went to the freezer, looking for an ice pack. 

“Aha!” Lin said, as he pulled out the blue ice pack he was looking for. 

_They’re strange, but not in a bad way,_ Alex concluded as Lin shuffled back over to him. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> come talk to me [on tumblr](http://damn-man-ham-fam.tumblr.com/ask)
> 
> I fill prompts on there before they come here! Some of these are weeks old!

**Author's Note:**

> Yeahhhhhhhhhhhh. Hhahaha. I love foster dad lin he's cute as heck
> 
> come talk to me [on tumblr](http://damn-man-ham-fam.tumblr.com/ask)


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